


Pantries

by StAnni



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Marriage, Romance, implied infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 16:46:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16706191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StAnni/pseuds/StAnni
Summary: He looks at her and for a moment they are back in the pantry - hopeful and absolutely free, without any notion of the hurt they would end up inflicting on each other.  He leans over and touches her cheek, shows her his finger "Eyelash" he says and waits for her to blow and make a wish.





	Pantries

It is six days after her twenty third birthday and Alfred pops his head into the pantry upon hearing her crack open a beer. He frowns at her like she is still a child. She sips, looking up at him.

“Found her, master B.” He says to Bruce, who must be in the kitchen, and Bruce, still in full tuxedo (not even having loosened his tie) leans in. “Hey.”

Selina shrugs and Arthur slips into the pantry, past Alfred, patting his shoulder “Mind holding the fort out there for a while.”

Alfred nods and smiles, giving Selina a last disapproving look “Do not sit on the floor with that dress, it is worth more than the Jag.”

Selina shakes her head and Bruce smiles as he sinks down to the floor next to her.

“You alright?” He asks and his voice is light but worried. Selina feels a pang of regret at having snuck out of the reception and she smiles at him, touching his chin. “Taking a bit of a pause, is all.”

He doesn’t look away from her, but his voice is still worried “Why, Selina?”

She shrugs and offers him a sip of the beer, which he shakes his head at “Just because.”

 

He is quiet for a second, pulling his legs up and resting his arms across his knees. It is a habit she remembers from when they were children. It is heart-achingly endearing. He tries again and she can see that the worry is starting to turn into cold self-doubt now. “Cold feet?”

She chuckles and puts her chin on his strong shoulder “I don’t think you can get cold feet after the ceremony.”

 

He crinkles his nose and gives her an accusing look “Did you smoke in here? Did you smoke in a pantry?” And she laughs, her own nervousness about the day evaporating against his mock outrage “No.” She lies and he kisses her. It is soft and unexpected and she melts against him. He shakes his head “That is disgusting, smoking in a pantry” to which she whispers “I can think of at least two other things we have done in this pantry that was also pretty smoking.”

 

He chuckles but blushes, which is also so Bruce. 

 

He thinks and looks at her, eyes calm “We could get out of here.”

She shakes her head, thinking of the painful weeks of Alfred trying to teach her to foxtrot and the lectures about irresponsibility and ungratefulness she would have to endure if she did not go through with that horrific dance today “I don’t want to get out of here.”

Bruce seems happier at her answer “Are you sure? I’m sure we could get this thing annulled, like a twenty second rule, or something.”

 

She sighs and bites his shoulder, to which he grimaces with a laugh “Shut up, just sit with me.”

He smiles “Okay.”

“So it took marrying you to get you to listen to me?” she asks, tracing his fingers and pushing her own through his, in a tight hold. He nods “It did.”

 

Then it is his turn to tease her “You’re gonna be a better wife than you were a girlfriend?” And she sighs, pretending to think and then shrugs “I guess It’ll be my wedding gift to you, darling.”

At the word he looks at her, eyebrows raised “Darling?” “I’m sophisticated now.” she answers, gravely.

“Married and sophisticated.” He offers and “Married and sophisticated.” She accepts.

 

And then after a small pause “And pregnant.” And off the sudden stiffness of his body she gives a short laugh, shaking her head. This man…still the same serious kid. “Just kidding.”

 

He shakes his head “I already regret this.” And she smiles at him before giving him another kiss.

 

Alfred pops his head in again, and this time he is clearly flustered “People are starting to look for the two of you.”

 

They nod and Bruce gets up, pulling Selina up by the waist and she dusts of the dress. “Next time we get married I am wearing the blend into the background tux and you can wear the Jag dress.”

 

Bruce smiles “It’s a deal.”

 

She blows a kiss over her shoulder as she follows Alfred out “I’ll see you in there, husband.”

 

*

It is forty nine days after her twenty seventh birthday and Selina watches Bruce reach for Rachel's hand as they cross the street to his car. 

 

She's not hiding, she is standing wide in the open and Bruce sees her - because that is, after all, why she is not hiding and she can see him motion to Rachel that he will be right back as she gets into the passenger seat of the Jaguar, the new one.

 

He jogs over the intersection, it's not a busy night, and stops a few feet short of her. "Is it Gordon?" he asks, his brow furrowed, worried and she shakes her head, handing him the envelope "He's fine" she answers, discreetly glancing back at Rachel. The note is from Barbara and after reading it Bruce folds it up and shoves it into his coat pocket. For the first time he actually registers her.

 

"How are you?" he ventures, and his voice is as cold as the night air.

 

She doesn't answer because it's none of his business anymore and because the truth is not something she wants to say out loud tonight, not after having seen Rachel again. 

 

Not getting anything out of her, he sighs and shakes his head. "Did you move out of that dump near the station, at least?"

 

He sounds tired but his eyes are soft when he looks at her. She knew that she should have insisted on somebody else bringing the note to him. Her heart bangs a fist against her chest. She shrugs and looks away "Yeah, no, I'm somewhere else now." He looks at her, concerned "Somewhere safer?" And she nods, lying.

 

He doesn't want to, not in front of her, but he glances back at the car, at Rachel and immediately Selina pulls her hood up, turns and takes off. Behind her he calls for her again but she tries to focus on the rush of icy wind filling her hood - drowning out his voice, filling her body with cold and numbing her heart until she can no longer feel.

 

*

It's fourteen days since they were married and Alfred sits across from them, his face grave. 

"When do you have to go?" Bruce asks and Alfred blinks, quietly "I should have left already. "

 

Selina watches Bruce touch Alfred's arm, watches the concern in his eyes and her heart sinks in guilt. Alfred has lost a close friend and she has not said a word.

 

"We'll think about you and we'll be here when you get back, Alfred" She tries and Alfred almost smiles, and glancing up at her, acknowledges her effort. "Just make sure this one stays out of trouble." Alfred says as he lowers his eyes again.

 

Bruce and Selina glance at each other and then back at him. "Which one?" Bruce asks.

 

"Both of you" Alfred smirks.

 

*

 

It is seventy two days after Bruce's twenty fifth birthday and when Selina slips through the balcony windows he is waiting for her, in the dark, at his desk.

 

"Where were you?" he asks and she puts her hand over her heart, stifling the shock. "Please stop doing that." she says to him, as she takes off her jacket "One of these days I will drop down dead."

 

He doesn't move or say anything else and she flicks her scarf at him after she unwraps it from her neck "What is up with you?"

He catches the scarf, whip fast, and yanks it from her hand, angry.

 

Selina, no stranger to Bruce's moods, raises her hands to him, exasperated "Okay, okay, I get it. You're mad." She leans against his desk as she kicks off her boots. "I went out, what's the problem?"

 

Bruce gets up slowly and walks towards her. The boy that used to have to stand on his toes to look her in the eye, now towers over her. "Alright." He breathes, clearly fuming after having stewed in the dark for hours "Let me explain the problem."

His tone is quiet and severe. Selina rolls her eyes at him and waits. "I know what you do out there. I know who you work with and I know the havoc you cause. I know because I look at you and I put it together. It's not hard and you're not discreet."

 

A chill travels down her spine and he does not let up, does not shift his gaze or give her a moment to even clamber up for air "Gordon has been watching you for months. He called me. You're tagged in three security cameras outside Windmere bank, Selina. There is a warrant out for you." 

 

She tries to think as he keeps his eyes on her, her mind races blindly around every corner of the night. There may have been cameras in the alley outside to the north of the bank. She didn't check.

 

Bruce waits for her talk but there really is not anything else to say but to, as usual, try and backtrack out of a bad situation "I can't stay here." She says finally and Bruce stares at her, disappointed and silently irate, "I can't believe that you've done this to us".

 

*

 

It is seventeen hours since Bruce has left her hide-out. 

It is close to the station and there is a mess of bad element around every corner. It is a perfect place to hide.

 

It is also seventeen hours from what should have been their third wedding anniversary. 

Her hand is sore from having struck him - in a storm of shock, anger and utter betrayel, across the face. 

Her throat is sore from crying and her head pounds, pounds, pounds in denial.

 

Three years ago she thought the only thing to worry about was whether Alfred would get pissed at her leaving her crap around the Manor, whether Alfred would decide to stay in London after Jonas died and whether Alfred, after he did indeed inform them that he was staying in London, would never return. She never, ever, even considered that Bruce, her rock, may be the one would grow tired of her, that he would give up on her and bail - that she would, in the end, drive him away.

 

*

 

It is the day of her twenty eight birthday and she is wearing the jacket that Barbara regifted her. It is sleek and feminine and, wearing the dress that Tabitha loaned her for the night, she feels both sexy and strong. 

 

Politics around Gotham, especially the below-the-board kind, has gone a bit down hill since the second fire rush and these days she has noticed that even Gordon and Bruce are on tense terms. 

 

He sees her, Bruce, because he always does, and he walks over to her, champagne in hand. He stops when he is next to her, leaning against the railing of the new CitiBank building. One of his buildings. He offers her the glass but she shakes her head. "Should I be worried that this building will be pile of dust in the morning?" he asks dryly and she doesn't answer, but shrugs, to which he smiles. "I like the jacket" At that she does take the champagne from him. "Where is your wife?" she smirks before taking a sip of the bitter French champagne.

 

Bruce doesn't hesitate in his answer "I don't know, where are you?" and she smiles at their stale little in-joke. They never got divorced because Bruce never wanted to be in a position where he would have to testify against Selina, a small gesture of goodwill - which he owed her.

 

But she means Rachel and he knows. "She's with Harvey Dent now." Bruce shrugs, his voice dull. And Selina rolls her eyes "Yeah well, the dude's a catch." He glances at her and she flicks his arm - the only near-phsycial contact she'll let herself make with him. "I'm sure things will work out" she offers and he looks at her now, eyes serious - but he doesn't say anything and she doesn't want to know.

 

The night is a little colder than usual and she pulls the jacket tight around her. For a moment it looks like he is about to offer his coat, but he doesn't. 

 

"Alfred's back" Bruce smiles at her. It is good to see him happy, genuinely happy, about something that he used to share with her. She nods, because she knows already. "Yeah, I ran into him." Bruce shakes his head and laughs. "So when he said "old flame" he meant my old flame." Selina smirks and looks away. 

 

She can feel it now, the itch, the pain that will follow later. She wishes that she could stay away, but she can't. Some wounds just never heal because we don't let them heal. 

 

"What's the deal with you and Gordon?" she asks and it is Bruce's turn to smirk. "Nothing gets by you, Selina." He doesn't give her any more than that, and he doesn't blame her. They're not exactly playing the same side anymore. "Well at least nobody can force me to testify against you either, Bruce."

 

He looks at her and for a moment they are back in the pantry - hopeful and absolutely free, without any notion of the hurt they would end up inflicting on each other. He leans over and touches her cheek, shows her his finger "Eyelash" he says and waits for her to blow and make a wish.

 

She does.


End file.
